Learning to Live
by The White Leopard
Summary: Gaara knows only of duty to his village. Shizuka knows only of duty to her people. When she is sent to Suna, both of them are forced to see that there is more to life than they had imagined. They must learn to live. Gaara/OC
1. Prologue

Summary: Gaara knows only of duty to his village. Shizuka knows only of duty to her people. When she is sent to Suna, both of them are forced to see that there is more to life than they had imagined. They must learn to live.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the recognizable characters or places or things that you see in this story. I do, however, own Shizuka, her kingdom, and this particular plot-line.

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><p><span>Prologue<span>

Far below, the tiny figures of the palace servants scurried about here and there, each with a different purpose, each pivotal to running the intricate network that made up the kingdom. Shizuka focused on a group near the stables, indistinct in the wavering torchlight, who were loading miscellany into carts. Today she had celebrated her eighteenth birthday and already they were piling up shiny treasures to accompany her like some garish offering to the warlord.

If she were in a more lenient mood, she might admit that that was not entirely fair. After all, most women in her position would have been married two or three years ago. It was only owing to her mother's insistence that Shizuka had not been shipped off on her fifteenth birthday; that she was allowed to grow up a little before being sent away to a foreign country and tied down to a stranger. Of course, the other party had been in no particular hurry either, so that might have had something to do with placating the elders enough to agree to her mother's request. But here they were, her eighteenth birthday not yet over, and already the palace was readying her personal convoy for tomorrow morning's departure. As it stood, she felt that her family could not wait to be rid of her. And why not? She was merely the youngest child of five, one of three daughters. Shizuka held little practical value for either family or country beyond her ability to help secure an alliance through an advantageous marriage. A marriage to a man she had never met and knew very little about.

In her heart of hearts, Shizuka did not really blame her family for this. Though her father was distant and her siblings all had their duties to keep them busy, her mother loved her dearly. Given the circumstances, she had done what she could for her youngest child. With the time that was allotted them, she had tried to give Shizuka as many different experiences as she could, not all of which were traditional for a lady of her station. In fact, some of them might even be considered scandalous. Still, no matter how much she might dote on her youngest, the duties of noblewomen were as clear as they were undeniable. The daughter of the Morikami family would wed a foreign man in order to secure a much-needed alliance. If she failed in her duty, shame would befall her family and disaster would befall her people, especially now. They were healers, not warriors. She had no choice but to succeed.

In turns, she would obsess over it and then try her hardest not to think of it, but the fact remained that Shizuka was deeply curious about the man she was to marry. Despite the fact that he was the same age as her, he was the leader of his village, the kage. _Kazekage,_ she recalled_. He is the leader of the Suna ninjas_. His father had died a few years ago and for whatever reason, his older brother and the other candidates had been passed over in favor of himself. So, it was left to him to take up the mantle of leadership or forfeit his right. It seems that he had chosen to not only lead, but lead in such a way that it left no room for any challenge to his authority.

Indeed, his reputation was so disproportionate to his age that Shizuka was not entirely certain what to make of it; however, at least some of it had to be true for him to still be alive and in control. He was reputed to be a demon in battle: untouchable and utterly merciless. He was also said to have an unusually high amount of bloodlust. His enemies have been known to flee in terror rather than face him on the battlefield. Or rather, they tried to flee. He would destroy them before they had the chance to get very far. There were several tales lauding his more vicious exploits. In fact, none of the stories about him were kind. They were not what one might hope to hear about one's future husband. She could only hope that there was more to the man than what was shown on the battlefield.

Frowning, Shizuka looked away from the courtyard to consider the scenery beyond the limits of the city. She let her gaze settle on the lush forests and snow-capped mountains, though they were little more than shadows in the nearly moonless night. Where she was going, there were no forests or mountains. She would not be able to walk beneath a verdant canopy and listen to the leaves rustle in the wind, inhale the heady scent of growing green things and the decay of rich earth. There would be no thunderous waterfalls or rushing rapids. There would be no glistening snow or ice-covered lakes. There would only be endless desert. Bare rock and sand and heat. Perhaps there would be some scraggly plant-life, sparse and twisted from eking out nutrients in such a harsh climate. Were there even flowers in the desert? Would even the moon be different in such an alien environment?

With a sigh, Shizuka turned away from the window, padded silently across the floor to her vanity table, and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Troubled, emerald eyes stared back at her and a frown turned into a scowl. Considering her rather dainty figure, the scowl did not look like it could be taken seriously, but the fiery look that her eyes now held promised otherwise.

_Enough self-pity_, she told herself sternly. _It's not like you haven't known about this betrothal your entire life. So what if it's in a foreign land? You like adventures. You're not the only woman in the history of humanity to have an arranged marriage. Deal with it. Tomorrow, you'll wake up and be on your way and there will be no more self-pity. You are a daughter of the Morikami family. You are not a coward. Have a little pride._

That settled, Shizuka removed the golden hairpins and combs that held an elaborate hairstyle in place, allowing her inky black tresses to slide freely down her back. She turned away from the vanity and readied herself for bed, trying not to think too much about the future. Shizuka spared one last glance at the moon before blowing out the candles and going to sleep.

I~I~I

Deep in the desert, a lone figure sat upon a rooftop, staring at that same sliver of a moon, blissfully unaware that a very large part of his future had already been decided for him and would, in fact, be arriving in a matter of days.

To be continued…

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><p>Author's Note: I know that original characters are often not as popular as cannon and sometimes turn out rather Mary Sue. Please bear with me. I promise you that there is more to Shizuka than meets the eye and I will try my best to make this story worthy of your time and attention. Also, fear not. The next chapter, which I will be posting shortly, will have recognizable characters and is a bit longer.<p>

Like it? Have problems with it? Give me a review!


	2. Chapter 1

Summary: Gaara knows only of duty to his village. Shizuka knows only of duty to her people. When she is sent to Suna, both of them are forced to see that there is more to life than they had imagined. They must learn to live.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the recognizable characters or places or things that you see in this story. I do, however, own Shizuka, her kingdom, and this particular plot-line.

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><p><span>Chapter One<span>

Temari reclined under the meager shade of a tree, fanning herself and trying to avoid the summer heat. Really, she loved her village, but the weather left something to be desired. Not that she would ever admit it out loud. Still, there was a lot to be said for a place like Konoha: lush trees, rain, snow, quiet afternoons cloud-gazing with a certain lazy shinobi. She smirked. Of course, any time spent with that particular lazy shinobi was bound to be entertaining.

A few shouts and a gathering crowd interrupted her thoughts. She scowled and got up to see what all the fuss was about. Recognizing her, the villagers parted so she could get a good view of the main road. A small train of carts was slowly coming through the gates. This was not unusual and should not have caused any stir. After all, under Gaara's leadership, Suna's economy was thriving, trade was abundant and caravans were quite common. However, this caravan was clearly foreign and of much better quality than those manned by the usual merchants.

With a frown, Temari racked her brain, trying to remember if there were any foreign dignitaries that were supposed to be visiting, but for the life of her, she could not think of any. At least, none that were not due for another week or more. As the group crawled slowly closer, she realized that she was not even certain what country they belonged to. Still, she had a nagging suspicion that she was supposed to know about this procession. What was it? She was still trying to figure it out when the only carriage in the group drew even with her. Inside sat a dainty young woman, clearly nobility, perhaps a few years younger than Temari herself.

The shinobi gave a guilty start and glanced between the young woman and the carts. She suddenly had a bad feeling that she knew exactly who this was. The make of the gear, the clothing, even the physical appearance of the people all pointed to a country much greener than Suna. Say, a distant mountain country that they had been looking into forming an alliance with years ago. Even the timing was right: Gaara had turned eighteen a few months ago. Unless she was very mistaken, this was Gaara's fiancé. Whom Gaara did not know about. Whom they were not at all prepared to receive. Actually, Temari was surprised that their father had not broken off the arrangement, given his less-than-paternal feelings toward her youngest brother and, to be perfectly honest, Gaara's less-than-stable state for several years. She scowled; maybe he had forgotten about it. How troublesome. If she had even suspected that the arrangement was still in effect, she would have informed her brother of it long ago. But that was neither here nor there.

She tore her eyes away from the carriage that was suddenly moving far too quickly for her liking toward the main building and took to the rooftops, determined to find Kankuro immediately. Or perhaps the elders. Yes, they would do. Everyone knew the elders liked to keep things quiet until it suited them to let anyone else in on their plots. In fact, Temari would be willing to bet that they knew the marriage had never been broken off. Even better. One thing was for sure: she was not going to be the only one to break the news to Gaara. Suicide was not in her plans. She had far too many ideas left untried on her lazy lover to die yet.

I~I~I

The desert sun beat down on Suna, harsh and oppressive as ever, even at this early morning hour, but Gaara hardly noticed. He was too busy working through the seemingly never-ending ocean of paperwork that came hand-in-hand with being kazekage. He did not really mind it himself, but he did have to wonder how the energetic and impatient Naruto managed in Konoha, for he was certain that the hokage's mountain of paperwork was no smaller that Gaara's own. He was going over the week's reports from border patrol when a knock sound at the door. He considered being annoyed at the interruption, but decided to enjoy the break instead, however temporary it may be. After all, even he could not stay buried in paper all day.

"Enter," he called, his quiet voice nonetheless penetrating the thick door.

The door eased open to reveal an uncharacteristically sheepish Temari and an unusually stiff Kankuro along with a handful of elders. Five minutes and a rather creative and falsely cheerful explanation later, the eldest pair of siblings was waiting for their younger brother to make some sort of response. However, the redheaded kazekage's expression remained as inscrutable as he was silent. Finally, Kankuro had enough waiting.

"Look, you never knew about this," he reasoned. "We can just send her back home."

"And risk offending her country, with which we have been looking to establish positive relations," Temari pointed out.

"So we tell them we want the alliance, but don't need their daughter to make it happen," he argued.

"Kankuro!" exclaimed an elder. "Marriages have been used to bind alliances for centuries. It would be a grave insult to break such a vow, especially after the intended bride has already been sent here."

"Well, what if we make her an ambassador instead…"

Gaara, having been forgotten by everyone in his office, was only half-listening to the argument concerning his future. He was still trying to reconcile with the fact that he had been engaged his entire life and never even known it. Though the young kazekage had come a long way from the angry, violent boy he had once been, he had never really considered love in terms of himself. At least, not since he was a child and his uncle was still alive. Certainly, he had come to care deeply for his siblings and he felt all the protective pride for his village that any kage worth his salt should, but a wife was something different. It was more personal in ways he had never even dreamed of before and he was not at all sure how to feel about it. He knew one thing, though: he did not appreciate having the decision taken from him before he even had a chance to discover for himself how he felt about such things.

He had never paid much attention to them, but he did know of several other relationships. Naruto was engaged to the Hyuuga heiress, Hinata. Kankuro was dating one of the jounin. Even his sister had some sort of romantic relationship with the Konoha genius, Shikamaru. He might not know any of the details, but Gaara did know that they all shared one thing: they were all completely voluntary. He frowned slightly. Such thoughts were not useful at the moment. Gaara returned his attention to the argument that had been going on only to find it still in full swing. As he wondered how many headaches Naruto had on a daily basis, Gaara decided that he would rather have been left to his paperwork after all.

I~I~I

In the end, it was decided that turning the unexpected fiancé away would be disastrous, but having the wedding right away would not only be ill advised, but nearly impossible. After all, they had made none of the necessary preparations. Thus, they would have an engagement period. That is, the wedding would be delayed for a while so that the two could get to know one another before they were married, or such was the official explanation. It was not unheard of, and if an alternative to a wedding presented itself in the meantime, so much the better.

So it was that Temari found herself outside the main building, watching the foreign caravan approach. She had been given the dubious honor of greeting the young woman her little brother was supposed to marry.

Another scowl made its way onto her face. Damn elders. They had claimed to have forgotten all about it, but that was clearly a ruse. Nothing made it past them, or at least, nothing like this. Nothing that concerned political relations between countries, especially when it meant they could meddle in the kazekage's life. Kami only knew why they had failed to mention it earlier, though, rather than risk the disaster that would have certainly struck if Temari had not pieced everything together as quickly as she had. Cowards. They probably just didn't want to be the only ones to break the news to Gaara. Or maybe they had feared that he would put a stop to everything if they had given their kazekage a little warning.

With an exasperated huff, she forced the matter from her mind, at least for the moment. The caravan was drawing to a stop and it would not do for her to scare off the would-be bride before she had even set foot on Suna soil. Though she was not yet certain how she felt about this matter, and she strongly suspected that she would not be happy about it for Gaara's sake once she had a chance to stop and think about it, Temari knew her duty. The kunoichi had certainly spent enough time as a liaison between Suna and Konoha to know that politics often required one to be cordial, despite one's personal feelings. So, if she was not beaming when a guard opened the carriage door and helped a delicate little waif out, neither did she look like she was contemplating someone's demise.

I~I~I

Shizuka took a deep, steadying breath when she felt the carriage slow. Ok. She was here. She could do this. No matter that the environment was so alien that even the smells were different. No matter that there had been oddly-dressed people staring at her since the moment she had entered the village, which was really more of a city. No matter that she felt she was liable to expire of heat stroke just sitting there, in the stifling confines of the carriage, or that that very carriage was the only thing standing between her and the great unknown. And of course, it most especially did not matter that as soon as she got out, and the wagons were unloaded, the servants and guards would leave and she would be well and truly abandoned here. It was almost enough to make her beg the driver to turn right back around and bring her home.

Almost.

As it was, she knew that such a thing was not possible. She was Morikami. To do anything other than complete her task would not only bring shame to herself and her family, it could cause an international incident and possibly even cost the lives of her people. Despite her personal feelings, Shizuka knew that there was no other choice but to move forward. So, when one of the guards opened the door and offered her a hand down, she gathered her courage and accepted the offer, abandoning the scant protection of the carriage and seeing what Suna had in store for her.

The mildly annoyed face of the blond woman was not a promising first impression. Still, Shizuka could do little other than hold herself taller and meet the grey-green eyes of the older woman. She had a curious hairstyle, four ponytails sticking out, but perhaps it was a local fashion. Certainly, her attire, though long, was not something that women at home would wear. And what was that giant thing strapped to her back? Perhaps she was one of the shinobi? The odds were high, considering that this was a shinobi village.

At last, the blond woman seemed to remember her duties, for her expression smoothed out and she bowed.

"Welcome to Suna," she said. "I am Temari."

"I am Shizuka," she replied with a bow, relieved that Temari no longer seemed annoyed, even if it was just a façade. This whole ordeal was nerve-wracking enough without adding open hostility to the mix, whatever she had done to deserve it. Of course, Temari might not be angry with her. Maybe she was just having a bad day.

And maybe pigs would fly.

If this was the welcome party, she was not at all sure she wanted to meet anyone else. Kami only knew how many more unhappy faces she would see. Not that it mattered in the least. Even if every last person in this village hated her, she would stay. Duty and honor. It was always duty and honor. Even if she had nothing else, Shizuka could cling to that. Still, she hoped that she could find at least a few allies in this place. Life would be dreadfully dull if she were left to her own devices all of the time. Not to mention lonely.

Shizuka gave herself a mental shake. It did her no good to be jumping to conclusions or dwelling on things she had not control over. She would take this one step at a time. First, she just had to make it through introductions without embarrassing herself. Easy, right? Sure. She could do that. Now, what had Temari been saying while she was lost in her thoughts?

To be continued…

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><p>Author's note: I'm afraid that those are the only two chapters I have finished at the moment. I will endeavor to get more ready for you soonest.<p>

Reviews give me inspiration.


	3. Chapter 2

Summary: Gaara knows only of duty to his village. Shizuka knows only of duty to her people. When she is sent to Suna, both of them are forced to see that there is more to life than they had imagined. They must learn to live.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the recognizable characters or places or things that you see in this story. I do, however, own Shizuka, her kingdom, and this particular plot-line.

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><p><span>Chapter Two<span>

Sand. So much sand. Shizuka had seen some of it from the windows of the carriage, but getting out and looking around, seeing the buildings up close, and making the short walk from the street to the main building had shown her that her fears had not been unfounded. Everywhere, there was sand. Even the buildings from a distance had looked like they were made of sand. Upon closer inspection, they were actually made of something akin to sandstone, though perhaps harder and stronger, but that was certainly close enough in Shizuka's mind to qualify. Her imaginings, the way she thought that this place might be when she took the time to think about it, had been essentially correct. It was hot and dry and harsh and there was not a green thing in sight. In fact, she may even have underestimated Suna: she did not see so much as a scraggly brown bush.

Now, she stood upon a balcony in the Kazekage's Residence and looked across Suna, sheltered behind its high stone walls. All she could see was a vast expanse of abrasive, tan grit wavering behind the dancing waves of heat that radiated from nearly every surface. From up here, the village looked like a giant, oddly sculpted sandcastle. Or sand-city, more accurately. And was that not exactly what it was? Would she ever get used to such alien shapes and sights? Would she be able to survive in this place? Well, she had little choice in the matter, so she had best find a way. Her people needed her to do this. She would just have to manage, somehow. Make her own way, if need be. Find someone to help her, perhaps. Hopefully. Someone to help her learn her way around would be nice. _If_ she could manage to find someone, that is. But who? Temari? She thought of the woman she had met that morning and wondered how likely it would be for them to become friends. Their first meeting, after all, had not instilled much hope for such an alliance…

I~I~I

Luck had been on her side. Whatever Temari had been saying while Shizuka had been lost in her thoughts, it did not seem to have been too important. Or at least, it had not been pertinent at the moment. By the time Shizuka had started paying attention again, the blond was offering to take her on a tour of the Kazekage's Residence, which apparently served both as the main political and military hub of Suna, and as the home of the kazekage and his family. It was certainly large enough to do all of that and more. Of course, from experience, Shizuka knew that such buildings always seemed to have more rooms than they could possibly use, and at the same time they never seemed to have quite enough. An odd paradox, but she was willing to bet that it held as true here as it had at home.

The ensuing tour, however, had been…awkward to say the least. Temari had seemed distracted and a little brusque, even as she mentioned the highlights of the Residence and carefully avoided the kazekage's office, saying he was indisposed at the moment and would not be available for a time. Possibly not even until tomorrow. Apparently he sends his apologies.

Though Shizuka could not fault Temari's civility, neither could she really call the other woman friendly. So her behavior, combined with Shizuka's nerves, only served to make Shizuka even quieter and more reserved than ever. She played the part of the distant noblewoman and tried not to let her imagination run away with her. Instead, she did her best to focus on the twists and turns at made up the Kazekage's Residence, hoping in vain that she would not get too hopelessly lost when she tried wandering around on her own. The place was like a maze, or maybe a catacomb or a beehive. It was large and complex, and the lack of very many windows made it difficult for Shizuka to keep her bearings. She knew one thing for certain: there was no way she was going to be able to navigate this place on her own anytime soon.

By the time a servant came and informed them that Shizuka's rooms were ready, both women were relieved…not that either one of them mentioned it. They must maintain proper decorum, after all. They would not want to appear rude in front of their future ally. So, Shizuka had been deposited in her room with a promise that someone would come for her when dinner was being served. No mention was made of lunch. She did hope she was going to get some.

I~I~I

Temari was the eldest of the three siblings. She had known both of her little brothers their whole lives. She had watched them grow up. She had seen them at their highest moments, and their lowest. They had been through far too many battles together, and had saved each others' lives on more than one occasion. However emotionally distant they might have been before the Chunin exams, enough time had passed since then that by this point, Temari knew both of her brothers very well. She had no doubt that at that very moment, Gaara had locked himself in his office with the intent of burying himself in work and was trying very hard not to think about the bomb that had just been dropped on him. She also knew that he was probably failing miserably. Oh, his eyes might be scanning documents and his hands might be signing them, but the vast majority of his mind was undoubtedly on the dainty little woman who had just arrived…whose name he did not actually know yet.

Temari winced. Perhaps she should go talk to him a little more about all of this.

…Later.

Even if he let her in the office, he would just ignore her right now. Sure, she could make an issue out of it, but between her short temper and his stubbornness, it would only end in a mutually frustrating argument. No. It was better to wait for now. Let the news sink in. Let him get his head around it. There would be time for them to talk it out some more later. Probably tomorrow.

Yes. Temari knew her little brother well. She had taken the liberty of telling the little princess that Gaara would be unavailable for a time. She had made his excuses and done a little more social damage control. After averting one massive political nightmare, what was one more? Temari had a suspicion that she might have to get used to playing the peacemaking diplomat for the foreseeable future, or at least until Gaara loosened up a little and started acting like a good little fiancée…which could take a while.

She sighed gustily. Such was the life of an ambassador. She ought to be used to it by now, but somehow, she always ended up with headaches. She doubted that this would be any different. Though, since Shizuka was in large part Gaara's personal problem, it did not strike Temari as entirely fair that she would be the one stuck dealing with her. Sure, there were a lot of politics involved, but that was hardly the point. Gaara was going to have to deal with this, one way or another. So, why was she helping just now? Well, she was Suna's primary ambassador. It only made sense that she would be the first one to greet a foreign dignitary, especially one so unique as this. But mostly, it was probably guilt. She should have known the elders would do something like this. So what if she hadn't thought about Gaara's engagement since she was a little girl, herself? This was her baby brother. She should have done better by himt. What did it matter that he was the kazekage? He was still Gaara and he still needed looking after. Honestly, he might be better than he used to be, but he was still pretty hopeless in the emotional and social departments. It might take a while for him to get his head on straight, and until then, she knew what she was going to be stuck doing. Oh, well. She was committed now. No going back.

As she made her way to the dining room, she turned her thoughts to the little princess she had greeted today, whom she would be seeing again momentarily. Temari really did not know what to think of her, yet. She had been pretty…quiet during the tour. Not rude, just…distant. In other words, she had acted like a noblewoman. Not that she should expect any different, Temari mused. After all, that is exactly what she was. Nobility. It was not the most promising first impression. She could only pray that there was more to the woman than that. Something a little deeper. If they could not find another way around this mess, Temari did _not_ want to condemn her brother to marriage with a woman who was superficial at best and a selfish snob at worst. No. If it came to that, she would rather break the treaty herself than allow Gaara to go through with it, no matter what arguments she had made in the office that morning. Whatever he ultimately decided he felt about it, Temari knew that her little brother would go through with it if he felt it would be best for Suna, and the truth was that Suna could really use this treaty.

After she had deposited the princess in her rooms, Temari had done a little digging so she could get up to speed with the situation. What she had discovered was that this little princess came from the Morikami bloodline, the ruling family of the Mountain Country. A small land situated north of Wind and south of Earth, it might not appear very impressive at first glance; however, what it lacked in size and military power, it more than made up for with medical expertise. The people of the Mountain Country were rumored to have techniques that not even Tsunade had known. Techniques that they would be more than willing to share with Suna in return for some protection when needed. Techniques that Suna was very much in need of.

Despite the peace that had descended between the five great shinobi villages after the war, and despite the close bonds between Suna and Konoha even before the war, Suna had never managed to get hold of any foreign medics for long enough to make a big enough of a difference in their medical system. Konoha had spared Sakura Haruno for as long as they could, and the pink-haired kunoichi had done a lot for them, but it was not enough. Sure, they had managed so far, just like they had managed for so many years before that, but facts were facts. Suna's medical facilities and even the techniques that their medics used were in need of some serious updating. This treaty could secure that. There was no way Gaara would pass up this opportunity, even if it cost him any chance at happiness.

Temari scowled.

There was no way that she would allow him to do it. Not even if the Mountain Country promised them a whole new hospital complete with staff. She had no choice, really. She would keep an eye on this princess. If she did not deem Shizuka worthy of her little brother, she would see to it that there would be no marriage, even if no alternative to marriage could be worked out and the treaty fell through because of it. Even if Gaara never forgave her for it. Some things were worth such sacrifices. Her little brother's happiness was one of those things. He had had more than enough pain in his life already. He did not need any more.

To be continued...

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><p>Author's Note: I apologize for the horrid delay. I will not bore you with the details. Instead, I bring you joyous tidings. First, I have completed the skeleton for the rest of the plot, though there is still some flexibility. There are two potential main I paths, really. I suppose it depends on whether you prefer espionage or kunai-flying battles. ;) Of course, there would be both in either path. The difference is where the focus lies. Let me know if you have a preference.<p>

Second, I plan to get a chapter to you every week, starting today. I am even beginning to stockpile chapters in the event that a nasty case of writer's block strikes, or some other unforeseeable disaster of life occurs. I already have next week's chapter written, if not completely edited yet. :) I promise that there will be real, live dialogue and a healthy dose of Gaara.

Reviews fuel my passion for writing.


	4. Chapter 3

Summary: Gaara knows only of duty to his village. Shizuka knows only of duty to her people. When she is sent to Suna, both of them are forced to see that there is more to life than they had imagined. They must learn to live.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the recognizable characters or places or things that you see in this story. I do, however, own Shizuka, her kingdom, and this particular plot-line.

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><p><span>Chapter Three<span>

Temari was not at all surprised to see that Gaara had neglected to appear at dinner. Normally, it was nearly impossible to make him miss it. It was their family time, after all. Family had become very important to the sand siblings, and especially Gaara, over the past few years. Whatever else happened, they all tried to show up for the family dinner if they were in the village. Not today. Today, they had a guest joining them. A guest whom Gaara was not ready to meet, and whom Temari and Kankuro were most curious about.

Not that the object of their curiosity was there, yet. No. It was just her and her brother, who was looking rather agitated, himself, and muttering uncomplimentary things under his breath.

"Why can't we just send her home?"

"Kankuro," she sighed. "You know why. We've been over this already."

"But Gaara, getting married like this? Don't get me wrong. At the rate he's going, this might be the only way he'll ever so much as look at a woman, but this is ridiculous. No one even knew she was coming."

"Except the elders."

"Scheming bastards."

"Look at it this way. Even if we work something else out and she goes home, at least Gaara might get it through his dense skull and finally be open to the idea of a significant other. He could use someone like that in his life."

"He has us."

"Not the same, Kankuro. Not the same at all."

He gave a noncommittal grunt.

"Right now, we know next to nothing about her. I think this is the perfect opportunity for a…friendly little chat."

"…you're going to make me play the bad guy, aren't you?"

Temari smirked. "Of course. _You_ don't have to deal with her indefinitely. _I_ do, and that means making nice with her, bonding woman to woman. Besides," she gave him a quick once-over. "You look like a bully."

The quiet sound of approaching footsteps interrupted their conversation before Kankuro could defend himself, alerting them to the approach of a certain princess. Indeed, a few moments later, a servant appeared with Shizuka in tow. Temari watched as she quietly took her place, situating herself with minimal fuss before she looked at the siblings, her face a pleasantly patient and utterly inscrutable mask.

I~I~I

After the servants disappeared and polite introductions were made, silence reigned at the dinner table. There was not a sound to be heard save for the quiet clinking dishes. Temari was certainly not helping matters any. She simply sat there enjoying her meal and surreptitiously observed the princess. Not that she needed to take such pains to avoid looking like she was analyzing the younger woman; for Shizuka was doing a marvelous job at looking like nothing existed in her little world save the food in front of her, which she sampled with rapt focus.

Lacking any other inspiration, or at least lacking inspiration that would not appear extremely abrupt and aggressive, Kankuro latched onto that last little detail.

"So, you like the meal? I'm surprised you'd eat our humble food. I heard all you ladies were picky about what you ate. Must keep your figure. Mustn't eat like the peasants." He ignored Temari's not-so-subtle eye roll at his choice of topics and instead fixed the princess with his version of a challenging look…which on any other man would be a menacing snarl.

To her credit, Shizuka kept a straight face and replied with a level voice. "I enjoy all manner of food, and I often took meals with my friends, many of whom were not among the aristocracy."

"What, so you weren't even worth enough for your family to keep around, and you had to mooch off the poor? Is that what they send for the kazekage?"

Shizuka twitched her fan sharply, but otherwise remained impassive. "I am very close to my mother and brother, and I do not believe that class lines can dictate who one feels compelled to form friendships with."

Kankuro narrowed his eyes. Well, she neatly sidestepped that one. Sure. He _could_ pursue that course of inquiry, but to prod at her choice in friends now would make him look like a condescending ass…not that he wasn't making an ass of himself already, but that was beside the point. He had to respect a lady who didn't mind "slumming it", and he did not have to look at Temari to know she felt the same. Of course, she could be lying about that, but not many aristocrats would. Not about things like class and friends, or at least, they would not say they _were_ friends. No. If anything, they would deny such associations. How odd.

"Just mommy and little brother? What about the rest of them? Didn't care for you?"

Finally, a flicker of _something_ in her eyes. Anger? Pain, perhaps? Had he hit a little too close to home?

"My older brother, actually," she corrected, the slightest bit of a chill to her voice where there had been only bland courtesy before. "I am the youngest. My father and siblings are all very busy, and my sisters were rarely home after they married. Itsuki, who is only two years older than me, had more time to spend with me."

"Sounds like you had a lot of free time. What about all of that useless court training? Didn't they teach you anything, or were you a lost cause even for that?" Now Kankuro could _hear_ the fan creaking under the pressure of her grip, though it was out of sight in her lap.

"My mother kept me very busy with my training. I spent more time with Itsuki because we shared a couple of classes." That actually impressed him, not that he let it show. He might not know a lot about the aristocracy, but he had never heard of children of both genders sharing a class. Normally, their girls were trained to be useless while the boys were taught things useful to running a territory or, in the case of the princess's family, a country.

"More court training, no doubt," Kankuro scoffed at last. "People here can actually do something _useful_, you know. So tell me, what kinds of skills do _you_ have? Wait. Let me guess. You can bow and embroider with the best of them. Ah, it must be so nice to just sit there and have people dance to your every beck and whim. What a life, eh, Temari?"

"I am hardly useless," she said coolly. "And people rarely danced attendance to me. I am the youngest, as you recall. Hardly worth that much bother." Kankuro felt himself warming even more toward the girl. She had backbone. That was for sure.

"So what is it that you do?" Temari interrupted before he really got the princess going. "You must forgive us. We have seen little of noblewomen, and what we have seen is life in service of their lords, and in charge of the household. There is nothing wrong with running a household, of course, but most of us here have other…skills that we value more than traditional duties."

Shizuka took a moment more to glare at Kankuro before her eyes flicked over to Temari. She took a low, deep breath – nothing that most civilians would have noticed, but something that was clear to Kankuro's shinobi eyes – and regained her calm mask.

"I…" she hesitated, for some reason reluctant to elaborate, or perhaps unable to come up with anything she thought they would appreciate. "I have had much training. In more than a noblewoman's duties."

Kankuro snorted. "Yeah. I'll believe it when I see it."

Shizuka did not deign to reply and dinner was finished with little more ado.

It was true, in a way, Kankuro mused. She could say whatever she liked, but when it came down to it, she would be judged by her deeds. Not just by him, or his sister, or even Gaara, but by the entire village. They were not a democracy by any means of the word, but the people of Suna didn't just respect Gaara, they loved him. If he went through with the marriage and she turned out to be shallow or useless, no power on this earth would make them truly accept her. It would take more than pretty words to win their hearts.

After a servant showed Shizuka to her rooms, Kankuro sat back in his seat and grinned at his sister. "Come on, Temari. She doesn't seem too bad. Let's give her a chance."

"Where'd this sudden turnaround come from?" she demanded, suspicious. "I thought you hated the very idea of her."

"I don't have anything against her, personally. It's just the principle of the thing. She came out of nowhere. Besides, she seems interesting. There's fire in there, under all those manners."

"And this has nothing to do with the fact that you're a pushover for a pretty face?"

"Hey! I'll have you know that I am in a perfectly happy relationship."

"Good. Because if we can't find a way around all this, she's going to be your new little sister."

I~I~I

Gaara breathed in the cool evening air, letting it sooth his jumbled emotions. Or at least, letting it try. His pale, jade eyes absently roved over his domain, but he did not really see the village. Instead, his mind was consumed by thoughts of his impending marriage. It had taken time for everything to sink in, and he had tried to distract himself and pretend that everything was normal. Nothing unusual about the day's surprises. Just another day as kazekage. He supposed that was what they called shock. That was new. He had been puzzled often enough, and even surprised on occasion, but he had never been in shock before. As the day wore on, the initial numbness faded and he began to feel agitated. How was it even possible that he could have been engaged for his entire life and never known, even when his siblings had? How was it that such an agreement had remained in place and in stasis for so long? Eighteen years seemed like quite a wait for something so significant. Finally, and no less important, why was it that no one had seen fit to inform him of this before now? That was the part that had left him feeling a little betrayed.

Certainly, he had been a little…difficult when he was younger. He could understand why they might not have wanted him to know at that point in his life. Then again, he was also surprised that the engagement had not been broken when Shukaku's fury still controlled him. It was impossible that his father, no matter how cruel he could be at times, would ever have allowed a woman to be in danger by marrying her to what he considered to be an uncontrollable abomination. Perhaps he had intended to change the contract later? His death would have certainly ruined whatever plans he had for resolving the treaty. Of course, the elders must have known. They must have always known. He simply had to puzzle out why they had never said anything.

Did they fear that he would call off the marriage if they had told him of it? That was foolish. After everything, they ought to know that he would do whatever was best for the village. Even marry. Even marry? Could he really do that? He might not know a lot about love, but even he knew that it was something precious. Though, he was not entirely certain that he was even capable of loving another person. Still, could he really give up his chances at ever experiencing it? The answer was yes. If there was no other alternative, then he could and would marry this woman, regardless of his personal feelings on the matter. His village was more important.

At this point, with such resolve, they why of it hardly mattered. Whether Temari and Kankuro had assumed that their father had terminated the agreement, or if they had simply forgotten about it; whether the elders had feared his response or if they had some other reasoning; it was pointless to wonder now. Such things were in the past.

A frown furrowed his brow, agitation giving way to general discomfort with the situation.

He would do his duty.

"Oh!" The quiet exclamation called his attention to a young woman behind him. She was hesitating at the rooftop entrance. How had he not sensed her approach? Had he been so lost in his thoughts? That was foolish of him. He would have to take more care in the future.

"Forgive me," she said. "I did not mean to intrude. I did not realize anyone was here."

Though his expression was as inscrutable as ever, Gaara was quietly studying the woman. He had not seen her before. She was not from his village. He took in the formal kimono, her lack of a shinobi's alertness, the little fan she was toying with. There was really only one answer.

"You are the princess?" he said, though it was more of a statement of fact than an inquiry. She seemed to take that as permission of some sort, since she stepped fully onto the roof, though she did not quite join him.

"Yes," she affirmed. "I am Shizuka."

This was unexpected to say the least. It was rare for anyone else to be out here at this time of night. It was one of the reasons he liked to come here. It gave him somewhere quiet to think. He had certainly not thought to meet _her_ yet, let alone in such an odd and unplanned manner. He was not sure he was even ready to face her rationally, but that choice seemed to have been taken from him. She was here, now. Perhaps he could use this as an opportunity to speak with her, even find answers to some of the questions that had been bothering him.

"How long have you known?" he asked, not noticing how abrupt and blunt his question was. The princess appeared taken aback and momentarily confused, but she smoothed her fan and spoke.

"About my engagement?" She waited for his confirmation. "For as long as I can remember." She hesitated, her emerald eyes turning away from him and toward the scenery, but she decided to continue. "I am the youngest in my family. This marriage, this treaty: it is the only real thing that I can do for my people. I have always known I would come here. I can only hope that I will find my place among these people."

"You are…happy with this?"

She smiled briefly. It was a complicated smile. Difficult to define. Wry and sad and proud, perhaps? Resigned? He was not certain. "I do not know if that is the word. However, I would be honored if I could serve my people well, and if I could make my family proud. This marriage can do that."

The logic behind that was so similar to Gaara's way of thinking that he almost accepted it at face value. Before he dismissed it, however, he paused and considered her words more carefully. Much though he valued his people and his place in their lives, he knew enough to realize that this was not a typical way of thinking. Many people valued their own lives above all others, their own happiness above what was best for strangers. He had been like that for a long time: loving only himself, caring only for himself. But what of this woman? She seemed to be saying she valued others above herself. Was that true?

"Do you care about them so much? Your family? All of the strangers in the Mountain Country?"

"My family has ruled the Mountain Country for many hundreds of years. We are raised with the knowledge and responsibility of our position, and we are raised to take pride in our heritage. But it is more than this." Shizuka frowned in concentration and tilted her head slightly, seemingly searching for the right words. Eventually, slowly, she began to explain.

"I was born in the castle and I lived in the castle. By blood and breeding, I am an aristocrat, with all of the burdens and privileges that come with such a position. However, I spent much of my time in the streets of the city, on the outskirts of villages, in the homes of my people. I have seen the way they live, and shared their joys and sorrows. I know them as well as any aristocrat, and in some ways I know them better. I cannot think of them as faceless strangers, because I know their names and hopes and dreams. I _know_ the people that I am meant to protect and I could never simply abandon them. I could not leave them to suffer if it was in my power to make their lives better." She fell silent, then, and seemed a little embarrassed at her speech.

Gaara blinked and stared at her. An unusual woman. He had not had time to form any expectations of her, but whatever he might have been thinking, this was not it. In contrast to her delicate frame, her words spoke of a woman who was determined and dutiful and passionate. A woman who had real depth of personality and strength of mind. A woman who might be worth taking an interest in. Gaara narrowed his eyes dubiously. Words were meaningless. Words could lie. This he knew all too well. He would wait and see what her actions said.

There was more, however. Something beyond her words and expression that caught his interest: her eyes. It was her eyes that held the most fascination for him. They were expressive eyes. They reflected her sorrow and trepidation, her surprise and her humor. What they did not show, what he was expecting to find, was the fear: the unreasoning terror and hatred and revulsion, the uncompromising rejection that he had so often been faced with. He rarely saw it anymore, but he still expected it sometimes. It was then that he realized that he had, in fact, formed an expectation of her. He had expected the worst from her. He was, perhaps, even looking for a reason to dismiss her. Surely he would not be expected to marry someone who feared him. Yet somehow, defying all probability, she did not seem to be afraid. Not yet, at least. Perhaps she did not know his reputation. Time would tell.

It never occurred to him that she did not realize who he was. He was so very accustomed to people recognizing him, after all. No matter where he went.

To be continued…

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><p>Author's Note: As promised, the next chapter, with dialogue <em>and<em> Gaara. Aren't I thoughtful. Concerning the servants, I've seen fanfics with them and without them, and my choice to go with them was only mostly arbitrary. Though, to be honest, they might be there mostly because none of the sand siblings strike me as the domestic type, and they have to eat somehow. Plus, they _do_ live in the Kazekage's Residence, and someone has to keep that place in working condition. Shelves don't dust themselves and all that. Ok, so it's not really arbitrary, at all. It's just practical. Also, I apologize on behalf of Kankuro's view of aristocracy. It's very narrow-minded of him, but again, he is _trying_ to be a pain about it all…was it too over-done?

Reviews are love.


	5. Chapter 4

Summary: Gaara knows only of duty to his village. Shizuka knows only of duty to her people. When she is sent to Suna, both of them are forced to see that there is more to life than they had imagined. They must learn to live.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the recognizable characters or places or things that you see in this story. I do, however, own Shizuka, her kingdom, and this particular plot-line.

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><p><span>Chapter Four<span>

From the stories of his exploits, Shizuka was expecting someone large and burly and uncouth. Someone wild-looking and savage. Someone clearly capable of tremendous and vicious acts of violence. Perhaps she had even expected someone older, though she knew that they were the same age. What she had not expected was someone calm and composed, if perhaps a bit stern. Someone slender and not so very tall. Someone with messy red hair and sleep-deprived rings around his eyes. Most certainly, in all of her wildest imaginings and all of her hazy thoughts about her future husband, the one thing she had _not _expected to find when Temari formally introduced her to the kazekage was the blunt young man she had spoken to last night.

Spoken…to…

Oh, kami. What had she done? The things she had said. To the kazekage, no less! It was mortifying. _Why_ had she said those things to him? He had caught her off guard, to be sure, but was that really an excuse? He had been so terribly _blunt_, almost to the point of being rude, asking things that had nothing to do with him. Or at least, they had appeared to have nothing to do with him at the time. It was not normal for anyone to answer such personal questions to a complete stranger, yet she had.

Perhaps it was because she had felt so lonely and upset after dinner? Her interrogation had hardly been a soothing or welcoming event. By the time it was over, she had been in desperate need of a confidant to speak plainly to, or, failing that, at least a little peace and solitude to get herself under control. Instead she had found a man. A man who, despite his direct approach and taciturn manner, had also seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say. A man who had seemed almost…gentle? No. It only made sense for him to be interested in her response, given who he turned out to be. But gentle? The thought was too absurd to harbor. In fact, that whole encounter was awfully underhanded of him. Indignation sprang up in her. He knew who she was, but she had no idea who he was. That was hardly fair. Oh, that was very sly of him, indeed. It was also something she would not soon forget.

Shizuka smoothed her fan and made certain her expression was as politely blank as possible before she spoke.

"It is an honor to properly make your acquaintance. I apologize for burdening you with my thoughts last night. I did not realize who you were."

Had a little of her ire leaked into her voice just then? Oh, well. He already knew some of her deeper feelings. What was a little more on top of that? Besides, he deserved it, deceiving her like that. Maybe it was the shinobi way of doing things, but that did not mean she had to put up with it. She would have honesty, or nothing at all. It never occurred to her that he might not have deceived her on purpose. Not that she was thinking too hard about it. Easier to be angry than to be nervous, especially if her anger felt justified.

"I would not have asked if I did not want to know," Gaara replied with a slight frown.

"Nonetheless," she demurred, barely refraining from glaring at him. "It was not very appropriate of me."

"Would it have been more appropriate to discuss those things with a stranger?"

Now, she did glare. Was he mocking her? She had thought _he_ was a stranger. In every real sense of the word, he still was, even though he would not be forever. More importantly, did he have no concept of propriety in these situations? There were rules! There were customs! She was not supposed to be meeting him in the middle of the night and pouring her heart out to him! It just did not work that way. Never mind that she had never actually been in such a situation before. Shizuka was certain that she had the right of it. It just wasn't… proper.

However, oblivious to her inner tirade, Gaara was still waiting for an answer. Shizuka eventually realized this. The infuriating little… she huffed in annoyance. What could she really say to that, anyway? She absolutely refused to admit that he had a point.

"We had not been properly introduced. There are customs," she said, which of course was not a real answer at all.

"I am not aware of any such customs. You will have to inform me of them," he replied, which of course would be completely against the unwritten and unspoken rules that Shizuka was investing so much of her argument in.

"Perhaps another time," she said stiffly. "Temari has promised to show me the village." Barely waiting for Gaara's nod, Shizuka bowed and stalked out of the office, leaving the mostly forgotten Temari behind.

I~I~I

"She seemed… upset." Gaara observed with a frown.

"I think you caught her off guard, Gaara," Temari replied. It had taken all of her willpower to keep from laughing aloud at the confrontation, er, _introduction_ that had just taken place. In fact, she was doing her best to refrain from giving in now. What made it all the more entertaining was the fact that she knew Gaara had been perfectly earnest, but the little princess had only gotten angrier and angrier. Looks like Kankuro was right: she did have a temper, after all. Maybe keeping an eye on Shizuka wouldn't be so bad, after all. Not if things were going to be this entertaining all the time.

"I doubt she knows what to make of you." She eyed her youngest brother curiously. "Just what did you talk about last night and why didn't she know who you were until now?"

"We spoke of why she was here…" he trailed off, and seemed to come to a realization of some sort.

Temari narrowed her eyes when he did not elaborate. "And?"

"I never told her my name."

"No wonder she was so annoyed. She probably thought you were leading her on or something."

"She never asked."

Temari rolled her eyes at him. "It's considered polite to introduce yourself. You should know that much by now. She probably didn't want to be rude."

He made a noncommittal noise.

"I'd better catch her before she gets lost in this rat-maze," she said and started toward the door. She paused to give Gaara a lopsided smile. "Don't worry about it too much. She's probably just nervous. New village. New country. New people. New customs. New fiancé. She'll get over it."

I~I~I

Shizuka had nearly reached the entranceway before her anger had receded enough for the significance of the encounter to sink in. She stopped, leaned against the wall, and stared wide-eyed at the floor.

"Did I just… try to pick a fight with the kazekage?"

Temari, who had just caught up to the shorter woman, had to work very hard to school her expression, a recurring theme. Even then she could not keep the laughter out of her voice. "Yes, I believe you did."

Yes. She did. Oh, kami. Even her words, proper though they were, had been belligerent. Mother would be so disappointed. Kiyoko would have laughed, as Temari clearly wanted to. Shizuka could feel nothing beyond her sudden dismay. How could she try to pick a fight with the kazekage? _Why_ would she try to pick a fight with him? She was here on a diplomatic mission… to _marry_ him. She was here as a representative of her family, of her people. She was _not_ here to act childish and petty. Arguing with him would be counter-productive… even if he deserved it by being a rude, deceptive, manipulative–

"Did that have anything to do with your… _conversation_ last night?"

Shizuka's head jerked up and she faced Temari with a crimson blush painting her face.

"I didn't know who he was!" she protested, completely missing the nuances of Temari's teasing. "I just wanted somewhere quiet to go where I could see the stars, and he was there, and he asked all these blunt questions and he just let me _talk_ and make a fool of myself." Suddenly realizing she was babbling, Shizuka shut her mouth and returned her forlorn gaze to the floor.

"Sounds like it couldn't have been too bad. Is having a decent conversation with your fiancé really such a bad thing?"

"It is when I did not know who he was," she replied mutinously. Mother would be very disappointed, indeed. It was time to act like a civilized individual again. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to regain her composure.

"Don't do that," Temari said after a moment.

"What do you mean?"

"That," she said pointedly. "You can be polite and distant to strangers, but I know better, now. I want to talk to the real person, not the noblewoman. We're going to be sisters, someday. I think we can move past the formality. Besides, Shizuka the woman seems more interesting than Shizuka the princess."

The princess in question frowned, not entirely sure what the older woman meant, but at the same time, knowing just what she meant. Did she not wear a social mask every time she was in court? Every time she was introduced to another aristocrat? Every time she was summoned by her father? Yes. She knew exactly what Temari meant. But at the same time, did she really want to be so open up so much to Temari?

It was true that their first meeting left her with little hope for a good relationship between them. It was also true that Temari had done little to keep her brother from attacking her at dinner. They had both maintained a distant civility toward each other until just now, in fact. Was that all it took for Temari to take an interest in her? Just a social crisis and some embarrassment on Shizuka's part? Or was it her little tirade that had done the trick? Whatever it was, perhaps she should just be grateful and see where a closer acquaintance would lead. Still…

"You have not been any more open."

"What do you call this? I'm willing to try if you are, though I warn you. Gaara isn't the only blunt one in the family, and _I_ do it on purpose."

Implying that he is not blunt on purpose? Shizuka was not certain she believed that, but she let it go for the time being in favor of a tentative smile.

"Actually, it's kind of nice sometimes," she said. "Being straightforward instead of playing social games." Of course, she would still have to be careful for a while, at least until she knew Temari a little better. She did not want to offend her or say anything that could cause problems. But maybe, someday, she could be a true friend.

"Be careful what you ask for," Temari warned, smirking. "You just might get too much of it." Shizuka merely gave her a wry smile. How well she knew this.

"You went to the roof, didn't you?" Temari asked after a long moment. At Shizuka's nod, she casually added, "He spends a lot of time up there, when he's not in his office."

"Now I know where not to go," she grumbled, scowling. Great. Just what she wanted to hear. Now where was she going to go to see the stars?

Temari laughed. "Come on," she said. "Can't stand here all day. You have a village to see."

To be continued…

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><p>Author's Note: Ok. Clearly there has been too much manga in my life recently. I feel like that last scene was straight out of a shoujo "girls-bonding" chapter. "I like you for who you are!" "I like you for who you are, too!" Gag me with a spoon. XD Oh, well. Can't win 'em all. On the other hand, I'm pretty pleased with the first scene. It's fun to get into Shizuka's mind. From the outside, she looks all cool and reserved, but really she's just a spaz with a good poker face. Temari, of course, always amuses me. She's turning out to be surprisingly manipulative.<p>

Reviews fuel my story-making machine.


	6. Chapter 5

Summary: Gaara knows only of duty to his village. Shizuka knows only of duty to her people. When she is sent to Suna, both of them are forced to see that there is more to life than they had imagined. They must learn to live.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the recognizable characters or places or things that you see in this story. I do, however, own Shizuka, her kingdom, and this particular plot-line.

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><p><span>Chapter Five<span>

In the two weeks since Shizuka had arrived, she and Temari had grown closer. There was little choice, really. They spent more time with each other than with anyone else. Not that that was all there was to their relationship. Slowly but surely, the princess was beginning to open up to the shinobi, and she was beginning to grow on Temari. Regardless, the fact remained. Out of all of the sand siblings, Temari was the only one Shizuka saw on a regular basis.

Certainly the Kazekage had not managed to spare much time from his busy schedule to visit with her. Though in all fairness, she had not gone out of her way to see him, either. In fact, the only time they saw each other was at the dinner table, which he had decided to show up at after that first night. Not that they actually spoke to each other at dinner. Gaara was near-silent, and Shizuka was little better. Whatever words were exchanged, they were with Temari or Kankuro. Needless to say, dinner was often a rather awkward event.

On the bright side, at least Shizuka was getting to know Kankuro better. He was not always the rude brute that he had been that first night. In fact, he could be rather amusing at times. For instance, their reconciliation had been a highly entertaining event, at least for Shizuka. His girlfriend had been the instigator. The woman seemed to know just how to handle him, and had made him apologize properly. Seeing the large, imposing man bow down to the demands of a relatively average-sized woman had been a sight to behold, and it had gone a long way toward helping Shizuka view him as a more approachable figure.

Watching them interact, seeing just how very in love they were was lovely, but it also drove home her own situation, which was less than ideal. How could she ever be happy in her marriage if she could not even manage to converse with the man she was marrying?

A bitter smile crossed her lips and she shook her head. If she was too cowardly to tackle the matter, then she had no right to complain. Besides, everything was not so bad. After that first time that Temari had taken her around the village, it had become something of a routine. Nearly every day, they went out and saw more people and places. It was so large! Of course, there were a few places they frequented, but they never seemed to run out of new things to see and do. Shizuka was beginning to genuinely enjoy herself.

In some ways, Suna was very different from her homeland; but in others, it was very much the same. Despite a large portion of the populace being shinobi, there were still many civilians residing within the protective walls of the village. Those civilians were not so different from her own people. They had hopes and dreams and ambitions. They had their own lives and pride in their village and in their kage. In short, they were people; regular people who just happened to live in a village that was ruled by shinobi.

As a matter of fact, it was a little surprising just how much pride they took in their leader. It was not simply respect, though that was there. It was something more. Something much more difficult to obtain, but infinitely more valuable. Gaara had managed to win their hearts. It was in their eyes every time they spoke of him. It was something that she had not thought to find. She would have expected the shinobi to follow their leader as the strongest of them, but the civilians? It was baffling. Luckily, it took little prodding to get the villagers to explain how the young kazekage had won their hearts.

He fought for them. He had been a general in a war for them. He had guided them through the chaos of war and delivered them safely to peace. He had defended them time and again, and he had been successful. Essentially, he made them feel safe.

Yet it was more than that. All she had to do was look around to see that Suna was thriving, shinobi and civilian sectors alike. No longer did they have to worry about going to war with the other great shinobi nations, or being attacked by some rogue force. Suna was strong and stable and in a time of peace and plenty. Its people thanked their kazekage for that.

Out of all of this, Shizuka had learned one thing for certain: it would take more than a little smiling and well-wishing to earn their approval. Maybe it was for the best that there had been no official announcement about who she was or why she was there. Except for a select few, all that the villagers had was speculation. Most believed she was little more than a visiting dignitary, an assumption that Temari was encouraging. Shizuka was not sure if that was good or bad, but even if it made her a coward, she could not bring herself to be displeased that these people were getting to know her for who she was, and not what she was supposed to be.

But that was neither here nor there.

By now, Shizuka had seen much of the civilian portion of the village. Temari had decided that today, they were to start looking at the shinobi aspects, and Shizuka was inclined to agree. The more she learned, the more she wanted to know about the lifeblood of Suna: the shinobi. At this point, she was more than willing to learn about the majority of her new people, even if that included familiarizing herself with the dangerous arts necessary to their lifestyle.

"There's the academy," Temari said, interrupting her train of thought. "It's where the children who hope to become shinobi go to learn the basic skills they'll need to survive. They have no rank right now, but if they stick around long enough to graduate, they'll have a chance of becoming genin."

The building that the blond had indicated looked like any other school, if one were to substitute a playground for training grounds and gym class for target practice.

"Only a chance?"

"Just because they might have the theoretical knowledge, or even the skills, doesn't mean they have what it takes. We leave it to jounin instructors to weed out those who would not make good shinobi. Sometimes the failed ones go back to the academy, most of the time, they don't."

Shizuka nodded. That made sense. Whatever the lifestyle of a shinobi was like, she was certain that it was a difficult one. Just because a child held a romanticized dream of it, did not mean that the child would do well with the reality.

As they approached the academy, Shizuka could see a class of students outside, flinging kunai at targets. Upon closer inspection, she realized that they were meeting with…mixed results, to put it kindly. At least as many weapons missed the mark as hit it, and precious few reached the center. Even to her inexperienced eye, it seemed that those in the center of the target had gotten there by luck rather than skill. A teacher was working with them, though, correcting things here and there.

"A first year class," Temari observed. "A royal mess now, but by the time they graduate, they'll have shaped up." She slid a sidelong glance at the princess. "Wanna check out a classroom?"

"Wouldn't we be interrupting?" Predictably, this question only drew a mischievous smirk out of her companion.

"We would be a huge distraction," the blond affirmed. "Of course, they'd wait until we were gone to really make the teacher miserable."

"You are an evil woman, Temari," Shizuka reprimanded, but even she could not quite manage to keep the smile off of her face.

"I'm so glad you agree. Come on, then."

I~I~I

In the end, they toured not one, but three classrooms of different age groups. While Shizuka felt a little guilty about disturbing the studies of so many students, she did have to admit that it was very instructive. They lurked in the back of the classrooms, listening to the teachers lecture about various subjects anywhere from ninjutsu to sabotage. One teacher was even talking about the history of Suna. That was one subject that Shizuka found herself quite fascinated by. When Temari dragged her out of that classroom far too soon for the princess's taste, Shizuka made herself a promise to delve into the library and read whatever she could find about it. It seemed like it could be useful to know.

Regardless of the manifold distractions they inflicted upon the students and headaches they had doubtless given the teachers, their little visit did have one positive impact. Poor Temari had been bullied into helping out with a lecture about strategy. She made a good teacher, though. Even Shizuka, who knew little of the subject, could easily follow the logic behind her explanations.

Outside once more and on their way to the next destination, Temari made a sound of disgust. "That's what I get for picking his class to crash. Trying to turn me into a teacher."

Shizuka hid her smile. "But Temari, you looked like you were enjoying yourself."

"In what alternate world are you living that it looked like I was having fun teaching a bunch of brats?" she demanded with a scowl.

"Don't let her fool you," said another voice, startling Shizuka. She had not noticed anyone else approaching. Shinobi: far too quiet. Either she would have to start getting better at detecting them or she would have to get steadier nerves. Otherwise, they were bound to give her a heart attack one of these days. "She gives guest-lectures there all the time. She just doesn't want to admit she likes it."

"Kankuro," Temari growled at the grinning man. "What brings you here?"

"Me? Just passing through."

Temari remained unconvinced. However, whatever retort was on her lips was left unsaid. The agonized scream was a little too distracting to ignore.

To be continued…

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I apologize for the slightly later than usual posting, FF would not let me sign in. I also beg you not to shoot the author for the cliffhanger. Just remember, if I die, the story will never continue. It seemed like the appropriate place to stop. Not much else to add this time. It kinda speaks for itself.<p>

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